Windrow harvester



May 16, 1950 P. KANE ETAL WINDROW HARVESTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June16, 1945 1%. M emwp m M .Z .WMW

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 an i a P KANE ETAL WINDROW HARVESTER May 16, 1950 FiledJune 16, 1945 Patented May 16, 1950 UNIT S TATEfi INDROW H RY STER.

erpl rionqune 16, ,S, l NO- 9 85 lvClaim.

This invention relates to a new and-improved windrow harvester and'hasfor one of its principal objects the provision of means whereby theharvester platform is balanced about a torsion tube which is carried byapair of wheels at the ends of the platform and positioned between thefront and rear sides of the platform.

An important object of this invention is to provide a windrow harvesterhaving its platform equipped with a transversely running aD TQn adaptedto feed cut crops to a longitudinally running apron positioned at thedischarge end of the"transverse conveyor and in which the discharge ofthe longitudinally running conveyor is at a point forwardly of the rearedge of the transversely running conveyor.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a tractortrailing windrow harvester capable of having its platform angularlyadjusted by reasonof a fluid pump mounted with the platform andsecuringits driving power from the tractor power take-off.

Other and further important objects of this invention will becomeapparent from'the disclosures in the following specification andaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is-ja top plan viewof the windrow harvester of this inventionFigure 2 is a partial rear view with parts removed of a portion of thewindrow harvester as shown in Figure 1 and indicated by the line 22;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of the device as shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is alsectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 1 withparts removed.

'As shown in the drawings;

The reference numeral It indicates generally a transverse harvesterplatform structure having a harvesting mechanism I I in the form of asickle extending along the front edge. A crop gathering reel I2 isadapted to feed crops standi'ngjn the field inwardly toward the sickleII- so that the standing crop is severed and the severed portions droponto the surface of the platform struc ture I0.

This particular windrow harvester has a transversely running conveyor I3operablein the di--. rection indicated by the arrow Me This con veyor I3is adapted to feed the cut croplaterally to a discharge end whichadjoins a longitudinally running conveyor I5 adaptedtocarry the cut crqprearwardly and deposit: it on the ground-to the rear of the machine. Asstated above; it-is 20 a particular object of-this'invention. tohaveithe cut crop dropped to the groundata point for.- wardly of therear edge of-thefltransversecons veyor I3. In order to effect thisresult. the rear-.

-,- wardly running longitudinal conveyor l5iis terminated at I6 whichisshortnof the rear-wedge I-l of the transversely running-conveyor I3" Theforeshortening of the longitudinally-running C0117. ve-yor insures aclear uncongested'dischargelfor the cut crop. A guiding shieldsliiiis.adaptedto extend rearwardly of the plattormetfl, andby its curvaturenarrows the windrowas deposited on the ground from the longitudinalapron1.5.-

This windrow harvester is adaptedtoibe trailed behind a tractor and asshown-iniFigurevl has.

aframe structure I9 i-ncludinga cl-rawebar hitch member 26-. The tractoris not showniin these drawings inasmuch as .it. forms no partof thepresent invention but it is obvious that the draws bar hitch member 26is capable of: attachmentto atractor draw-bar. Thetplatform is equippedwith a plurality of structural members .21: vpro-- jecting beyond theend. of the longitudinally run! ning conveyor. The rear ends: of theframe structure I9 are hinged at 22 and-23 tothe structural members 2forming apart ofthe platform; 1..

As best shownvin Figures 4 iand.5-,.theplatform It is substantiallytorsionally balanced on. a torque resisting tube 24 which extends theentire width of-"the platform- It and is positioned.approximatelyumidway between. the frontand rear edges thereof; Thetorque tube.is..carried be= neath the platform It" bya plurality ofdepending brackets 25. These brackets 25 are each welded I tolongitudinally extending-platformreenforcing beams 26 which arepositionedatintervals, across andbeneath the platform 10; As showninFigure 4, the torque tube 24 is'welded, as shown at 21, entirelyaroundits-circumference within the bracket 25, At the outer or grainwardendof the platform 10, the torque tubeasbestshown in Figure 5 is notwelded to the depending brackets 25 but ratheris merely journaled withinthe brackets, An arm member 28=separate-from the longitudinal structuralbeamSJb -and independor lowered thereon .i The. tractor end of: the:winds-1 row harvester platform is adjusted with respect to the framestructure l9, and this adjustment is for the entire platform, However,the grainward end of the platform generally tends to sag slightly, andin order to compensate for this sag, the rear of the two beam members 26are swung downwardly by adjustment on the bolt 30 so that the forwardportion of the grainward end of the platform will be raised about thetorque tube 24.

A tractor power take-off is adapted to drive a rearwardly extendingshaft 35 which operates a crank 36 which in turn causes reciprocation ofa pitman 31 directly attached at 38 to the sickle II. The drive shaft 35continues rearwardly beyond the crank 36 and enters a gear box 39 whichpreferably has a cooperative pair of bevel gears (not shown) for causinga shaft 46 at right angles to the drive shaft 35 to be rotationallydriven. This shaft 49 is mounted in suitable bearings 4| in turn mountedon the structural members 2|. A pair of sprockets 42 and 43 are keyed orotherwise attached to the drive shaft 40. A fluid pump 44 is mounted onthe structural members 2| of the platform It] and has a transverselyextending shaft 45 carrying a sprocket 46. A chain 4'! joins thesprockets 42 and 46 and transmits the drive from the shaft 49 to thefluid pump 44. Fluid caused to be under pressure by this pump 44 isadapted to be propelled through a forwardly extending flexible conduit43 which joins a hydraulically operated cylinder 49 having areciprocating piston 56 slidably mounted therein. The hydraulicallyoperated cylinder and piston 49 and B are best shown in Figure 4. Thelower forward end of the cylinder 49 is mounted for pivotal attachmentto the frame structure 19 at 5!, and the outer end of the piston ispivotally mounted at 52 in an upward extension 53 of a portion of theplatform I9. When fluid under pressure from the pump 44 is fed to thecylinder 49, the piston 50 is extended thus causing an upward pivotalmovement of the forward end of the platform I6 about a pair ofsupporting wheels 54 and 55 and a buckling of the hinge connections 22and 23 between the frame structure l9 and the platform Ill.

The supporting wheel 54 is mounted between a pair of longitudinallyextending beams 56 and 51 on an axle 58. The forward ends of these beams56 and 51 are attached by welds or the like to the transverselyextending beams 2| of the platform [6. The outer wheel 55 has an axle 59carried by the longitudinally extending beam 26. These wheels arepositioned slightly to the rear of the torque tube 24, but they arepositioned within the confines of the front and rear edges of theplatform It. The torque tube 24 is carried by these wheels 54 and 55.

An upwardly extending arm 65 is journally supported on the driven shaft49 and may be radially swung about the shaft 46. A sprocket Si is keyedto a shaft 62 which in turn is journaled in the upper end of the arm 60.A chain 63 surrounds the sprockets 43 and BI and causes drive to betransmitted from the shaft 40 upwardly to the shaft 62. An arm 64extends forwardly from the upper end of the arm 66, and by reason of itsattachment by a bolt or the like to the upright member 53, the arm 60 isfixed at a definite inclination. The outer forward end of the arm 64supports a shaft 65 carrying a sprocket 66, and by reason of the chain67 extending around the sprocket 66 and a small sprocket 68 keyed to thestub shaft 62, drive is imparted from the shaft 62 to the shaft 65. Thecrop gath- 4 ering reel I2 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 65, andthereupon it is apparent that as the shaft 55 rotates so does the reel12. It is sometimes necessary to adjust a windrow harvester reelforwardly or rearwardly for use in conjunction with different types ofcrops, and in order to facilitate this adjustment without effecting thedrive in any way, an arcuate track 69 is provided at the end of theplatform In in a plane with the sprocket 6!. A collar 19, as best shownin Figure 1, forms part of the upper end of the arm 66 and is adapted toencircle the arcuate track 69. A plurality of spaced holes TI isprovided along the length of the forwardly extending reel supporting arm64, and by removing a bolt 12 the arm 64 may be pushed forwardly orrearwardly, as desired, and the bolt I2 reinserted through the upright53 and through any one of the holes 'II' in the arm 54. It will beunderstood that a rearward movement of the arm 64 will not interferewith the tension of the chain drives 63 or 6'! inasmuch as the arm 66remains fixed in length and merely swings about the driving shaft 45 andis guided by the track 69. Holes 53 in the upright 53 permit variousheight adjustments.

A sprocket l3 securing its drive from the drive shaft 45 is adapted bymeans of a chain 14 to drive a sprocket l5. The sprocket I5 is mountedon a shaft T6, the outer end of which is provided with a manuallyoperable clutch 11 so that the transverse and longitudinal aprons l3 and15 respectively may be stopped during turning of the machine at the endof the field. A rope ll" projects forwardly from the clutch H to a pointadjacent the tractor operator and upon pulling the rope the clutchdisengages. Release of the rope will automatically cause a reengagementof the drive mechanism. The internal shaft 58 within the shaft '16 andoperated by the clutch l! is adapted to extend transversely and drive aroll 79. This roll 19 forms the drive for the longitudinally extendingconveyor i5 and defines the discharge or rear edge thereof. As bestshown in Figure 2, this shaft 78 extends beyond the roll 16 and hasmounted on the end thereof a bevel gear 86 in cooperative engagementwith a bevel gear 8: which in turn drives a shaft 82 supporting asprocket 83. The bevel gears and 8! are positioned within a gear casing84 and are suspended beneath the platform l5. A second sprocket 85 iskeyed or otherwise attached to a shaft 86 supporting the drive roll 81for the discharge end of the transversely running apron 13. A chain 89joins the sprockets 83 and 85 and transmits rotation from the shaft 18to the shaft 56, and it is apparent that the transverse and longitudinalaprons are driven together. As shown in Figure 1, the drive chain 86 isprotected by a shield 6:: which has been removed in Figures 2 and 3 inorder that the internal working parts may be more readily shown.

The fluid pump 44 is equipped with an actuating valve not shown.However, it is essential that this pump be capable of being operated bythe operator of the tractor, and hence a forwardly extending rod member90 having a bent portion M at the forward end thereof is capable, uponrotation, of effecting operation of the fluid pump valve actuator.Hence, if it is desired to raise or lower the windrow harvesterplatform, the tractor operator merely reaches back and takes hold of thehandle or bent portion 9| of the rod 96 and rotates it in eitherdirection de- I pending on the direction [in which he wishes theplatform to be moved.

In operation the windrow harvester of this invention is pulled through afield of standing grain. The long sickle il cuts the grain and the reell2 pushes it rearwardly onto the platform l0. A transversely runningconveyor carries the out grain laterally to a position where it isdeposited on the rearwardly running conveyor l5. The cut grain then isdischarged rearwardly onto the ground in a neat narrow windrow. Thecurved shield I8 aids in confining the windrow in as narrow a width aspossible. The platform ID as previously stated may be convenientlyraised or lowered by the operator to effect cutting of the grain atdifferent heights merely by directing the output of the fluid pump 44 tothe desired end of the cylinder 49.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that an improved windrowharvester has been provided. Various details of construction andmodifications will undoubtedly suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art, and it is not intended by the disclosure to limit the inventionotherwise than as necessitated by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A transversely disposed rectangularly shaped harvester platformincluding harvesting means extending across the front side thereof, atransversely disposed torsional support mounted beneath and carryingsaid platform, a wheel carrying each end of said torsional support,means mounting the platform on the torsional support substantiallymidway of the front and rear sides of the platform and in such a mannerthat each wheel carrying the torsional support is disposed between thefront and rear sides of the platform, a transversely running conveyorapron on the platform to receive crops cut by said harvesting means, anda longitudinally running conveyor apron on the platform at one end ofthe transversely running conveyor apron and terminating forwardly of therear edge of said transversely running conveyor apron, whereby thelongitudinally running conveyor apron receives crops from thetransversely running conveyor apron and carries them for deposit on theground at a point rearwardly of the torsional support and forwardly ofthe rear side of the platform.

PAUL KANE.

MICHAEL S. SISULAK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,241,452 Unrein Sept. 25, 19171,772,440 Hanson Aug. 5, 1930 2,059,205 Buflington Nov. 3, 19362,281,059 Anderson et a1 Apr. 28, 1942 2,322,276 Blaser June 22, 19432,324,563 Custenborder July 20, 1943 2,328,838 Oberlink Sept. 7, 19432,336,263 Krause Dec. 7, 1943 2,365,387 Briscoe Dec. 19, 1944

